Osprey - Page 6 of 8 - Valencia Birding - Guided Bird Watching in Spain

3 Day Birding Break

February of this year proved to be a very busy month, with many clients from Northern Europe having organised winter birding trips with us. The combination of a little sunshine, some fascinating winter visitors and the anticipation of early spring migrants can make late February a very attractive time to visit the Valencia region. One of our trips was provided for the Ornithological Society of Northern Ireland. We had designed a 3 day trip that took in diverse habitat including steppe, coastal wetlands and the Natural Park of Albufera de Valencia. They had spent a few nights at the beautifully converted farmhouse of L´Alqueria del Pilar in the village of Banyeres de Mariola in inland Alicante. On our first day, from there we made the easy journey up to the highland steppe of Castilla de la Mancha. Day 1 – Steppe At over 900 metres above sea level, this can be a very cold region to explore in winter but with adequate clothing and planning it makes for a wonderful birding venue. One of our first species was the magnificent Great Bustard, specifically a group of over 20 males. We stopped…

Albufera de Valencia just gets better

Last Thursday I provided a day of guided birding for a client from Maine, USA. She is an experienced birder, and often visits Valencia. She was keen to add some new species to her list, and was keen to arrange a day of guided bird watching with us. Over the past few years, Albufera de Valencia just gets better as a birding destination, with increasing populations of many endangered species. I met her at her holiday home and we then made the short drive to Albufera de Valencia where we began our day at an observatory overlooking the Albufera lake. We enjoyed watching the winter visitors that are already arriving, including species such as Red-crested Pochard and Pintail. Red Crested Pochard Next stop was in a protected reserve area where we enjoyed great views of the charismatic Kingfisher. We were also fortunate enough to watch a Booted Eagle soaring and hunting above the reserve as well as a good selection of waders, many of which were on their autumn passage. On the way to our next venue, we stopped at a golf resort as one of the target species of…

A stormy day in Albufera de Valencia

Last Sunday, Yanina and I were pleased to provide a day of guided birding for a client from UK. Thomas was spending the weekend in Valencia and had arranged a trip with us. Despite it being a stormy day in Albufera de Valencia, we managed to adapt the trip to miss almost all of the heavy rain that fell that day! Having collected Thomas from his hotel in central Valencia, we made the short trip to Albufera, where we began the day in a protected reserve. We were welcomed by the explosive song of Cetti´s Warbler, and with a little patience we soon had views of this elusive little bird. The reed beds also gave views of Great Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler (we were fortunate as they are at the point of departure for their autumn migration) and Fan-tailed Warbler. A juvenile Night Heron passed overhead. The first lagoon gave good views of Marsh Harrier, Little Grebe, Garganey, and eventually a Green Sandpiper. As we walked through the reserve, we were treated to views of huge flocks of Glossy Ibis, well in excess of 100 birds. We then spent a…

Black Headed Weaver in Valencia

I was recently fortunate enough to provide a day of guided birding for a couple from Germany. Although now living in western Germany, Rebecca was born in my home town of Sheffield so it was good to talk of adventures in the Peak District! As part of their holiday in Spain, they had booked a day of guided birding with us, and we´d opted for a trip to Albufera. In September, it´s always really interesting as the autumn migration is underway and Albufera is an important stopping and feeding area. We began the day at a special little reserve where we were treated to views of Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Osprey, Marsh Harrier, Purple Heron and Night Heron. We also visited a ringing station where we watched the ringers at work, recording the data of a Reed Warbler and a Bluethroat. The afternoon was spent in amongst some partially flooded rice paddies where we had great views of some super waders including Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and Ruff. As we were thinking of wrapping up for the day, a bright yellow flash caught our eye. Close examination…

Bird watching trip to Albufera de Valencia

Earlier this month I enjoyed a super day´s birding with a couple of clients from UK. Brian and Sally are keen nature lovers and experienced birders, and were spending a few days in Valencia. They had previously contacted us and we´d arranged a bird watching trip to Albufera de Valencia as part of their break. After I´d collected them from their apartment in central Valencia, we made the short journey to Albufera where our first stop was in a protected reserve area. The reed beds, lagoons, canals and marshes of this reserve provide excellent habitat for an array of bird species throughout the year. Today was no exception, and we were fortunate enough to enjoy views of Purple Heron, Night Heron, Squacco Heron and Great Egret. September is always a fascinating month, as some of the summer visitors are still present, whilst some winter visitors are just beginning to arrive. Furthermore, many species that are on passage stop at Albufera to feed and rest. One such species is the Osprey, and we were treated to views of this superb raptor. The reeds held Fan-tailed Warbler, Reed Warbler and Chiffchaff whilst…

Guided bird watching at Albufera de Valencia

Last Thursday I had pleasure of providing a day of guided bird watching at Albufera de Valencia for two clients from England. As nature lovers and experienced birders, they are members of The Wild Trust and also volunteers of the RSPB. Whilst here in Spain, they were keen to discover the bird life of the wetlands that surround Valencia. After I collected them from their holiday apartment, we went to a protected reserve area where we enjoyed great views of waterfowl species. We were also fortunate enough to watch 3 Booted Eagles soaring and hunting above the reserve. On the way to our next venue, we stopped in a car park where there had been reports of a Dotterel, obviously resting and feeding whilst on passage. Next stop was a very special restricted reserve area, where we spent most of the morning and had lunch in an stunning hide in front of a lagoon. We enjoyed views of a large flock of Greater Flamingo and Glossy Ibis. An Osprey, another species that often stops at Albufera whilst on passage, had appeared to “befriend” the Ibis and happily spent the afternoon with them!…